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Brooke Walker reportingA new report released by the Utah Domestic Violence Council is causing concern. The report details the number of domestic related deaths, and those numbers are up.
Judy Kasten Bell, Utah Domestic Violence Council: "The ripple effect goes to extended family members, neighbors and everyone begins to feel unsafe."
A look back at 2005 has domestic violence advocates concerned, but also motivated.
The numbers are startling. On average, one in three homicides are a result of domestic violence. But even more startling are the stories.
In September, police found the body of a four-month-old baby boy inside a South Ogden apartments. The baby's cause of death was undetermined, but his parents died as a result of a murder-suicide.
Christian D'Agnillo became the youngest victim of domestic violence in 2005.
This is just one of the 33 domestic-violence related deaths that happened in Utah last year. That number is up from the 23 reported in 2004.
The Utah Domestic Violence Council released the detailed report yesterday and now their focus is on prevention -- stopping the tragedy before it happens.
Judy Kasten Bell, Utah Domestic Violence Council: "We really need to get our message out more clearly and more often. We are dealing with crisis response all the time and we'd love to be able to move into prevention work."
Experts say a common misconception is that an abuser will "snap" and simply lose their temper. But research shows more of a pattern and process. The violence will build over time, continuing to get worse until, eventually, the worst happens. That is where friends and family members can play a key role.
Advocates encourage everyone to watch for signs among those you love. Those signs can include social isolation, communication withdrawal and any indication of physical abuse.
Another shocking number: Of those 33 deaths, 31 happened in front of or near children. Because of that, the Council will focus a large part of their efforts toward kids, hoping to educate the youth about healthy family relationships.
